Continuing the release of both new books and the backlog of older books in North America, BBC Books (through new distributor Diamond Publishing) has the following releases due out in December: "The Legend" (the Justin Richards hardcover); Eighth Doctor novels "Reckless Engineering" by Nick Walters, "Time Zero" and "Sometimes Never" by Justin Richards; the Big Finish hardcover "Short Trips: A Universe of Terror"; and the Past Doctor novel "The Suns of Caresh" by Paul Leonard. It should be noted that some of these books, while technically not due until December, may actually hit shops early; both "Reckless" and "Suns" are already available via Amazon. (Thanks to Greg McElhatton)

Doctor Who was one of 19 award-winning titles being celebrated by BBC Audiobooks at this yearÆs Spoken Word Awards ceremony, hosted by Clive Anderson at the Dorchester Hotel in London last Thursday evening. A Gold Award for Best Drama was given to the remastered BBC Radio Collection CD release of Doctor Who û Death Comes to Time, the full-cast audio drama first webcast on BBCiÆs Cult website. Producer Dan Freedman, sound engineer Jon Taylor and actor John Sessions were present to collect the award. This is the second year running that BBC Radio Collection has had success with Doctor Who; last year The DaleksÆ Master Plan took Bronze in the Best TV/Film Adaptation category. Overall BBC Audiobooks won 8 Gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze awards this year, as well as Performer of the Year for Michael PalinÆs reading of Sahara. The awards are given by the Spoken Word PublisherÆs Association and judged by a panel of independent experts including journalists, producers, writers and retailers. (Thanks to Michael Stevens of BBC Audiobooks)

Doctor Who Magazine #335 is due out this week (actually, it's already starting to be received by subscribers). Included are interviews with Peter Miles (Nyder of "Genesis of the Daleks") and the last part of the chat with Mark Gatiss; a preview of the "Curse of Fenric" DVD extended edition; "Fact of Fiction" covers "Invasion of the Dinosaurs"; the second part of the comic strip "The Curious Tale of Spring-Heeled Jack"; plus all the usual news reviews and features. The cover is at right.

Ben Aris, who played Lieutenant Shears in part 1 of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs," the Jon Pertwee serial, passed away on September 4; he was 66. Aris found his greatest fame in the classic BBC sitcom Hi-De-Hi! as camp ballroom dancer Julian Dalrimple-Sykes. (Thanks to Steve Stratford and the Death Comes in Time site)

Paul McGann has joined the cast of the Eugene O'Neill play "Mourning Becomes Electra," opening November 17 at the Lytteton theatre. McGann joins Oscar and Tony nominated actress Dame Helen Mirren (best known as Jane Tennison in the "Prime Suspect" television films), West End regular Clarke Peters and actress Eve Best in the play which "explores the wildly destructive forces of jealousy and desire unleashed when Lavinia discovers that her mother, the intoxicating Christine Mannon, has dared to take a young lover." Bookings for the play have begun; more details are available here. (Thanks to Paul Vazquez)

The newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine spills the beans on the cast for the forthcoming audio story Zagreus, due in November from Big Finish, a three-disc 40th anniversary story. Paul McGann and India Fisher return as the Eighth Doctor and Charley, alongside Lalla Ward as Romana and Don Warrington as Rassilon. The report also confirms participation by the following actors (though we should point out that these aren't necesssarily the roles they will be playing in the story): Colin Baker, Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy (the Doctors), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier), Louise Jameson (Leela), Bonnie Langford (Mel), John Leeson (K-9), Mark Strickson (Turlough), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Maggie Stables (Evelyn), Robert Jezek (Frobisher), Caroline Morris (Erimem), Lisa Bowerman (Bernice), Stephen Fewell (Jason Kane), Miles Richardson (Braxiatel) and Conrad Westmaas (soon to be the new Eighth Doctor companion, C'Rizz). Further details hopefully soon on Big Finish's website.

Letters to the Radio Times in response to its recent report of the top television programmes of the UK -- omitting "Doctor Who" -- have been quite vocal. While one letter decried a possible rigging of the poll, Radio Times did state that the choices were the personal favorites of TV editor Alison Graham... but a letter from Mark Gatiss ("League of Gentlemen" star and author of Doctor Who books including "The Roundheads" and "St. Anthony's Fire") also takes them to task: "Finally, Doctor Who. It's become something of a personal crusade for me to remind everyone that this show (Doctor Who) was once pretty much universally loved. We should remember with pride and not sneer at it as though it were some anorak-sporting. half-mad relative. And we should bring it back now!" (Thanks to BBCi, Radio Times and those who wrote in with their own comments!)

Author Mark Campbell ("Pocket Essentials: Doctor Who") has penned An Almost Complete Guide to Doctor Who, to be published this fall by SciFiCollector. The book will feature "an in-depth episode guide to all the television episodes - each entry includes full transmission dates (including repeats), BBC archive holdings, novelization details, video, DVD or CD availability, music and sound effects releases, cast and crew, a DWM index, recording dates, locations, selected factoids and an informed, no-nonsense summary. The second half of the book documents the Doctor's appearances in a variety of other media - namely TV spin-offs, cinema films, radio plays, comic strips, Big Finish audio plays, stage plays, books and webcasts." Tom Baker has written the foreword for the book. More details and a cover illustration available soon. (Thanks to Mark Campbell)

Big Finish producer Gary Russell announced at this past weekend's Dimensions convention in Stockton-on-Tees that the company had commissioned a new four-part limited series for 2004, as yet untitled, to run alongside the regular Doctor Who range, with Louise Jameson, Lalla Ward and John Leeson reprising their screen roles as Leela, Romana and K-9. The series will be set on Gallifrey (obviously). All three will be featured in the forthcoming 40th anniversary audio special "Zagreus," the other details of which (including the rest of its cast) have not yet been announced. Meanwhile, Big Finish also announced that Paul McGann will indeed return for a fourth series of Doctor Who audios to be taped in late 2004; his third 'season' begins release in December. Finally, in response to a question about giving Sylvester McCoy an additional companion (besides Mel and Ace), Gary said that there were considerations for it, with a clue in the new Unbound serial "He Jests at Scars" (where he mentions several names including someone named "Hex"). (Thanks to Bob Fischer)

BBC Books has informed us that Paul Cornell's adaptation of his serial The Scream of the Shalka, based on the animated serial starring Richard E. Grant debuting online in November, will be released in February 2004. BBC Books was hoping to do Shalka as an 'extra' book, "but sadly that's not possible at such short notice without upsetting the distribution and making things difficult all round," says range consultant Justin Richards. All of the previously confirmed novels will therefore slip back one month, with David Bishop's "Empire of Death" in March, Mark Michalowski's "Half-Life" in April, David McIntee's "The Eleventh Tiger" in May, Jonathan Morris' "The Tomorrow Windows" in June and Craig Hinton's "Synthespians(TM)" in July. (Thanks to Justin Richards)